Saturday, January 30, 2016

The current trend of naming storms really amuses me. So far this winter we’ve been hit by Storms Abigail, Barney, Desmond, Eva and Frank. Now Gertrude is here. Storm Desmond landed in the UK in early December and will likely go down as one of the most devastating storms to ever hit the North West, with its effects still being felt long after the winds had subsided. Now it is the turn of Storm Gertrude, bringing - at the time of writing - at least one red weather warning and leaving thousands without power across Scotland and Ireland.

In 2015 the Met Office and its Irish counterpart Met Eireann launched a project to name severe winter storms, much in the same way that hurricanes are named. The official statement said “Working together it is hoped that naming winter storms will help raise public awareness of severe weather and ensure greater public safety”. Storms are never good news! They devastate and damage: you never expect to come out the other side of a storm in better condition than you entered it.

The bible uses the imagery of a storm to explain various ideas. In Job 21:17,18 the picture of a storm is used to explain how severely God views wickedness and evil. It says ‘God distributes sorrows in his anger. They (the wicked) are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carries away’. Wickedness in the bible covers a spectrum of behaviour all of which actively disagrees with what God, in his Word, says is right.

Most of us face storms in life from time to time. These are hard and tough experiences. God, is keenly interested and indeed involved in the storms we face even if we are not aware of his presence. Once when Jesus’ disciples faced a weather storm they discovered Jesus sleeping in the boat - he was not frightened as he faced the trauma’s of life! They shouted at Jesus - do you not care that we perish? Little did they realise he how deeply he was interested! That day he rose from sleep and did what the impossible - he calmed the storm. Jesus still does that in individual lives today. That is if we ask!

As I close let me point you to two beautiful passages of scripture. In Isaiah 25:4 God states, among other things, that he is ‘a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat’. Again in the same book, Isaiah 32:2 we are told ‘a man shall be a hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest’.The truth is that ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’ and on this basis he is the one who can protect us in the storms of this life and from the storm of God’s judgement in the next life.

The question is will we take advantage of his protection?

For more information and further explanations of the message of the bible via videos, blogs and podcasts please visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk

Friday, January 29, 2016

The Bible states that 'it is appointed unto men once to die'. This most obvious of facts is among the most distressing things that we human beings face. I have a friend who committed suicide just before Christmas a number of years ago - why I can guess but I do not really know. One day one of my friends in Liverpool found that her partner's nephew has been found dead in his flat. Death comes to us all but why?

The Bible tells us why. It is because of sin.

The Bible states that we die because we were born into a fallen race. The first man, Adam, brought 'sin into the world and death by sin'. We also are all in the habit of sinning and the Bible states 'sin, when it is finished bringeth forth death'. We all sin (fail, hurt, lie, disobey etc etc) and therefore the moral and physical result is death.

But Jesus said 'I am come that they might have life'. But we all still die - why? That is true physically but when a person comes to Jesus (in faith, by praying) and asks him for forgiveness they receive eternal life. The Bible says 'He that hath the Son hath life'. God promises in his word (The Bible) that 'he that cometh to me I will no wise cast out'. The Lord Jesus said 'come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest'.

This is actually only possible because 'Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners'. The Bible puts it like this 'The Father (God) sent the Son (Jesus) to be the Saviour of the world'.

Amazing as it is God has intervened to solve the human tragedy of death but his only course of action legally was for someone else to die in my place. The only person who qualified was Jesus. His death was voluntary because death had no claim on him (He could not sin and therefore death had no claim on him). The Lord Jesus willingly died to save me from eternal death in hell and the lake of fire.

What about you will trust the one who can deliver you from the 'fear of death'?For more information and further explanations of the message of the bible via videos, blogs and podcasts please visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk

Thursday, January 28, 2016

There are a lot of people about who are very private and keep themselves to themselves. They would not trouble anyone with their problems and would not presume that anyone else is interested. Well I have news for anyone who is reading this who thinks like that. I know someone who is interested in you; his name is the Lord Jesus. He is recorded as saying in the Gospel of John - 'I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly'. The Bible also states that God 'is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance'.

The Bible is packed full of statements expressing God's love for the individual - For God so loved the world, Come unto me all who are weary.... The genuine nature of God's love is that it is backed with action. The breath you breath, the sun that shines, the life, death and resurrection of Jesus are all proof of that.

The ultimate proof is that the Lord Jesus is interested in our lives as individuals. If you doubt that then read one of the four Gospels in the New Testament part of the Bible. The record says about Jesus that 'he went about doing good'. He spend his energy for three years bringing the blessing and forgiveness of God to the people he met. He healed them both physically and spiritually. By doing this he was proving that the God who can heal the body can save the soul. And by the way all of the works, blessings and miracles of Jesus were to individuals. He is interested in you!

You can come to him, quietly, where you are, by praying to him. We have all sinned against God and need his forgiveness. When we agree with God that we have disobeyed his commandments and ask for his forgiveness then He will save us.

Why and how you may ask? He can save us from his future punishment in Hell because his Son, Jesus died on the cross for our sins. The Bible says 'Christ died for the ungodly'. He died for you and I and can forgive us because he took the punishment for sin.

When you believe you will receive salvation - why not believe today? It works - he saved me and has been with me for nearly fifty years now.

For more information and further explanations of the message of the bible via videos, blogs and podcasts please visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Holocaust Memorial Day

As we soberly reflect on the sufferings of the Jewish people let me draw your attention to the words of Jesus Christ, the most famous Jew who ever lived. I know some will disagree with the statement and point to Abraham, Moses or some famous Jew of modern times but please bear with me for a moment or two!

In this passage of scripture today (see below) the Lord Jesus is answering and replying to his disciples. They were passing what we now call Temple Mount and were awe struck by the majesty and splendour of the architecture and the quality of stone masonry.

Jesus moves their thinking from the wonder of the present to consider the future. Initially he is saying the temple will not last, it is doomed for a day of destruction. Sadly it was to be destroyed in AD70 when Titus ransacked and destroyed the temple leaving very little standing.

Peter, James, John and Andrew are inquisitive and keen to know more. As they sit on the temple side of the mount of Olives, no doubting continuing to gaze at the Temple structure, they ask Jesus - when will it happen and will there be any warning signs that it is about to happen? A good question! Before I summarise Jesus' answer it would be worth reading the reply recorded in verses 5 - 37! I've added it at the end of this blog for your convenience.

If you have just read these verses you will hopefully notice that the Lord Jesus bridges the times in which he lived with end times. He starts with the temple as it was in his day but infers that the biggest issue they need to think about will not be the destruction of the temple in AD70 but the desolation and defiling of a future temple (v14).

This is a big topic and we would need to refer to many passages in the Bible to get a real grasp of it. However Jesus points us to one passage indicating that Daniel the prophet also spoke about the same event (see Daniel 9). When you read Daniel and other relevant scriptures, 2 Thess 2, Matt 24, Luke 21, you could only come to one conclusion: A new Temple will be built in Jerusalem before Jesus comes again (v36) and the long stopped practice of animal sacrifice will be reintroduced. Then a non-Jewish world leader will rise on the world stage (Rev 13). He will stop the animal sacrifices and break a seven year deal that he has negotiated with Israel. At this stage he will place some form of image of himself (2 Thess 2, Rev 13) in the 'holiest of all', the most holy place of Jewish worship, and sacrilegiously defile their temple once again. This has already happened once in their history in the period following Alexander the Great but this future event will usher in another period of 'holocaust' treatment of God's chosen people!

There are many predictions made in Mark 13. As with all bible prophecy they usually have two points of fulfilment (see one example above). The predictions about wars, earthquakes, famines and troubled times have happened to some extent but will also reoccur as we approach end times. The predictions about persecution and the spread of the gospel equally have an application to the start of Christianity, as was very relevant to the disciples, and will see fulfilment as Jewish evangelists (see Revelation 7, Matthew 24. 14) preach about the coming Messiah and His coming kingdom after the church has been raptured to heaven. The heart of man never changes. What drives man to hate has always been the the same. Whether in the holocaust of WW2 or the current day! The hatred of the world for the Jews has always been the same. The origin of the hated comes from another source, the arch enemy of God, the Devil.

God chose the nation of Israel to be the means by which he will bless the world and despite the horrific treatment of this nation by most civilisations God will see to it that this comes true in His own time. The future return of Jesus to rescue the nation of Israel from future anti-semitism is assured in the bible, Zechariah 14, Matthew 24. 29,30, Luke 21. 25-28. He will also come to judge the nations of the world in respect of their treatment of Israel at that stage, Matthew 25. This is a separate issue from the day when God will judge all of mankind, Revelation 20. 11-15.

Today, God is blessing people in the world today through a Jew - his name is Jesus. He is the Son of God and the scripture states 'when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a women, made under the law,' Gal. 4. 4. Jesus was born when the time was exactly right, he was born in a human family by the miracle of the virgin conception, a Jewish family to be precise. All this being the fulfilment of the ancient predictions of scripture.

As we reflect today on National Holocaust Day and mourn the wicked treatment of a race do not suppose for a moment that it couldn't happen again. Indeed it will happen again! Your choice should be to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, Psalm 122. 6, and to trust their greatest Son, Jesus Christ, as Lord and Saviour, Acts 16.31.

For more information and further explanations of the message of the bible via videos, blogs and podcasts please visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk

Mark 13King James Version (KJV)

13 And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!

2 And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately,

4 Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?

5 And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you:

6 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

7 And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet.

8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

9 But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.

10 And the gospel must first be published among all nations.

11 But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.

12 Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death.

13 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

14 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:

15 And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house:

16 And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment.

17 But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

18 And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter.

19 For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.

20 And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.

21 And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not:

22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.

23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.

24 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,

25 And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.

26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

27 And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.

28 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near:

29 So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors.

30 Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.

Ask the average Liverpool fan what the club’s most famous song is and I have no doubt the answer would be 'You'll never walk alone'. Many supporters find that singing the song creates a feeling of passion in their heart and memories of many great games.

Songs are very emotive and help us store memories. Try stopping someone in the street and ask what song from church they remember. It could be ‘Amazing Grace’, ‘All things bright and beautiful’ or ‘the old rugged cross’. Lots of people will say Psalm 23. That’s because it’s one song that is repeatedly sung at weddings and funerals. It could be the best known hymn in the United Kingdom, but you are probably thinking ‘I’ve never heard of it’. That’s a shame as it has very inspiring words. Actually the sentiment of 'You'll never walk alone' is not so different.Verse four of the Psalm says 'though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for you are with me'. It reminds me that we all face the 'valley of the shadow of death' one day. Our path through life is tough at times and it is certain that we all face death at the end of life. The reason we all die is explained in the Bible by the statement 'the wages of sin is death'.The Bible makes it clear that physical death is the means of moving from this life to the next. At the end of the psalm the writer states 'I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever'. The writer is sure that there is life after death. Other writers in the Bible make it clear that God has revealed that there are two places of destiny. One called Heaven and the other called Hell. You may wonder why the writer of Psalm 23 is so sure that he will be in heaven. I think the answer lies in the fact that he can say 'the Lord is my shepherd'.

The Bible records that the Lord Jesus Christ 'came into the world to save sinners'. He said one day 'I am the good shepherd the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep'. The Bible describes human beings as wandering sheep when it states that 'all we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way'. But it also explains that 'the Lord has laid on himthe iniquityof us all’. This means that Jesus took the punishment for our guilt so that we can be forgiven. He rose from the dead on the third day and returned to heaven forty days later; where he is now.Sadly there are times in life when we do walk alone. But it doesn’t need to be like that. You could know the God of peace in your life today. It is an amazing thing to know God personally and to have His peace in your heart and soul.

How is it possible? There are two parts to this – ‘Repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ’. A change of attitude is required. The way you think about yourself and God will change when you realize that he is right and we are wrong. When you get to that point you will be ready to trust Jesus Christ as the only one who can forgive sins and eternally bless you.

For more information and further explanations of the message of the bible via videos, blogs and podcasts please visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?

29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:

33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

34 And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.

35 And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that Christ is the son of David?

36 For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.

37 David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he then his son? And the common people heard him gladly.

38 And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces,

39 And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts:

40 Which devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.

41 And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.

42 And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.

43 And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:

44 For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.

The main lesson

Basically you never will be able to do enough to qualify for heaven. Here are some reasons:

1. Religion does not make the grade.

2. Good living doesn't improve your prospects.

3. Doing your best isn't good enough.

This isn't because God is difficult and awkward like an old teacher, boss or parent. There are some people who you will never please no matter how hard you try but God's not like that!

The truth of the matter is that we as flawed humans we are not capable of living like God or in a way that pleases Him. He is perfect and has no capacity to sin: we are sinful and struggle to live life well.

So what!

Do we have a problem without a solution!

No quite. That's why the Father (God) sent the Son (Jesus) to be the Saviour of the world.

God is holy but not hateful.

He cannot live with us as sinners but he has provided forgiveness and salvation through the death of his Son.

All that is required is the following:

1. Our confession and admission that God is correct. The purpose of this confession is to be bring us to the reality of our true condition before God.

2. Our repentance towards God. This is a change of mind where we see God for who he is and ourselves for who we are. It is more than regret. It is the correct reaction of turning and placing God in control, dethroning ourselves and confessing Jesus Christ as Lord.

3. Resting on Jesus Christ for salvation. This is called faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ. It comes as a result of admitting our failure to change or save ourselves and our recognition and reliance on Jesus Christ to save us.

A simple bible statement to summarise all of these stages would be 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved,' Acts 16:31.

To get to this stage we must understand that Jesus died, was buried and rose from the dead three days later.

May God bless you though His word and His Son.

Stephen

For more information and further explanations of the message of the bible via videos, blogs and podcasts please visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk

Sunday, January 24, 2016

You will search in vain to find any proud, arrogant, assertive statements about himself.

BUT you will never find a denial about who He is.

All of this is a fulfilment of another bible prophecy - Isaiah 42:2 "He shall not cry, nor lift up, not cause His voice to be heard in the street".

Note when He had carried out a miracle he often instructed the person not to go and broadcast what had been done, see Mark 7:36 "And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more He charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it".

THE LORD JESUS LEFT ANY RECOGNITION AND ACCLAIM TO BE GIVEN BY HIS FATHER, GOD, MEN AND WOMEN WHO RECOGNISED HIM FOR WHO HE IS - HAVE YOU?

Men said -Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God - Matthew 16:16

Thou art the Son of God; Thou art the King of Israel - John 1:49

I perceive that thou art a prophet - John 4:19

Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ - John

4:29

This is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the world - John 4:42

You have to decide who you think Jesus is? This is not an option! Either you decide in life and come to know Him as your Lord and Saviour or you leave it or ignore it and find out that He is the Son of God when it is too late to accept him as your Saviour.

For more information and further explanations of the message of the bible via videos, blogs and podcasts please visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk

Saturday, January 23, 2016

A friend of mine went into a store to buy a piece of electrical equipment. He had done his research and was confident that he was buying the best product within his price range. One of the things that mattered to him was the reliability of this particular brand. All the reviews that he had read had commented on the fact that it passed all the stringent tests with flying colours. When he had chosen the item and was walking to the checkout one of the store sales representatives approached him and asked if he needed any assistance. He replied that he was happy with what he had selected and was heading for the checkout desk to pay for it. The sales person asked if he would like to take out an extended warranty since the manufacturer’s warranty only lasted for 12 months and it was possible to purchase a warranty for 36 months, of course at considerable cost. He refused the offer since he believed the product to be very reliable.

The next day my friend went to work in the office and related this story to a few of his colleagues and was amazed to learn how much importance people place upon a ‘cast iron guarantee’. They began to tell him horror stories of commodities breaking down and becoming useless after a relatively short period of time. Thankfully the item purchased is still working very satisfactorily.

With society apparently placing great importance on a guarantee that may last for a few years, is it not amazing that so few want a commodity that is free, will never need replacement, is guaranteed eternally and brings nothing but real, deep joy and satisfaction both in time and eternity?

This ‘commodity’, which is hardly the right word to describe such a blessed possession, is the salvation of your precious, never dying soul. We are creatures of time but bound for eternity. At death the body begins to corrupt and soon returns to dust, but the soul goes on to eternity and exists in either heaven or hell for evermore. This latter place was, "prepared for the devil and his angels" Matthew 25.41, and was not intended for mankind. However, all who die refusing the salvation of God will share the devil’s doom. Yet there is good news. God loved humanity so much that He gave His Son so that all men could be saved. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" John 3.16.

Please note the warranty, "should not perish". There is no ambiguity, no doubt, no if or maybe, it is clear and not open to misunderstanding. The Lord Jesus Christ stated quite clearly, "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand" John 10.28,29. This is a cast iron warranty that all who believe on this glorious Person Who died on the cross of Calvary for the sins of guilty humanity will not perish. When asked the question, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" the apostolic reply was, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" Acts 16.30,31. There was not the slightest hint of doubt. The Lord Jesus accomplished the work of redemption by His suffering upon the cross and God is eternally satisfied. The work will never need to be adjusted, reconditioned or amended in any way. He said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life" John 5.24.

Dear reader, please think beyond time and have an unbreakable guarantee for eternal bliss and glory.

Why not listen to the Living Hope Show today at 3.30 p.m. There are various items to listen to - The Lawyers Case for Christianity, a fresh look at Bible Characters and answers to Life's Questions. All from a biblical perspective with a variety of Christian hymns and songs. You'll can listen to the Living Hope Show through internet radio station,Vintage Radio (www.vintageradio.org.uk).

Christ died for our sins, he was buried and he rose again on the third day!

God will forgive you if you turn from your wrong doing and wrong beliefs and accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour.

You owe God everything but if you got the chance what would you ask Jesus? Would you try to out-smart him as the people in today's passage did? Or would you ask him why, if he is God, he came down to earth to die for ungrateful people like us? Why he chose to take on our suffering and death? Why he left the utopia of heaven to come to a sick and sad world like this.

The answer is already in the Bible - He came because he delights to have company with people like us. Because he loved his Father, in heaven, and God loved this world and sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world. The bottom line is he loved us because he chose to love us.

What love!

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound!

Here is love vast as the ocean!

Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us........

Before you go please read this passage from the Bible.

Mark 12King James Version (KJV)

12 And he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country.

2 And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard.

3 And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty.

4 And again he sent unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled.

5 And again he sent another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some.

6 Having yet therefore one son, his wellbeloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son.

7 But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours.'

8 And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.

9 What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others.

10 And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner:

11 This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

12 And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and they left him, and went their way.

13 And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words.

14 And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?

15 Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it.

16 And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar's.

17 And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. And they marvelled at him.

18 Then come unto him the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying,

19 Master, Moses wrote unto us, If a man's brother die, and leave his wife behind him, and leave no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.

20 Now there were seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed.

21 And the second took her, and died, neither left he any seed: and the third likewise.

22 And the seven had her, and left no seed: last of all the woman died also.

23 In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife.

24 And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?

25 For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.

26 And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?

27 He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.For more information and further explanations of the message of the bible via videos, blogs and podcasts please visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk